Lukas Dostal returns to Anaheim on a scorching hot streak, having won eight of his last nine before the Olympic pause, and now faces a soft homestand against Western Canadian teams that his Ducks can exploit. Alex Laferriere slides into prime real estate on the Kings' top line alongside Adrian Kempe and a debuting Artemi Panarin after Kevin Fiala's season-ending Olympic injury opened the door.

Jordan Binnington channels his inner gamer to stonewall Martin Necas on a breakaway and deliver massive stops that keep Canada's gold dreams breathing in a heart-stopping overtime win over Czechia. While his St. Louis Blues struggle near the bottom of the West with his save percentage dipping below .900 this season, Binner elevates his game under the Olympic spotlight, outdueling Czech netminder Lukas Dostal just like he did at the 4 Nations Face-Off.

Anaheim's Dostal and Gudas suit up for Czechia only to watch Switzerland steal an overtime thriller in Milan Cortina, leaving the Ducks' Olympic hopes hanging by a thread. LaCombe sits for his third straight, a coaching call that's got Anaheim brass whispering about lineup tweaks post-break. With NHL stars turning heads across the pond, these Ducks reps face mounting pressure to deliver before the roster freeze lifts.

Rookie Beckett Sennecke turns Calgary's Saddledome into his personal playground, capping his first NHL hat trick with a sniper's OT winner to hand the Ducks their seventh straight victory. Anaheim rallies from behind against a Flames team that's suddenly leaking oil, with Lukas Dostal stonewalling 32 shots in the process. This streak has the Pacific Division on notice, as the Ducks lurk just one point back of Edmonton with a game in hand.

Team Canada picks apart what looks like Lukas Dostal's Achilles' heel in Olympic play, giving the Ducks netminder fits early on. Scouts have whispered about this vulnerability all season, and now it's under the global spotlight with NHL eyes watching. Dostal fights to adjust as Czechia leans on him for survival in a stacked group.

Nathan MacKinnon stuns with his raw reaction to the Olympics' opening chaos, cutting through the hype with Avalanche-level candor. After years of NHL grind, this global stage hits different for a guy who's seen it all domestically. His words hint at the mental edge Canada needs to navigate the bracket's brutality.